Volume 2, Issue 2 (June 1979)

A novel tensile test method for geotextiles is described. The fabric is deformed in a tensile mode with zero transverse strain in the plane of the fabric. The force is supplied by hydraulic pressure to 200- by 800-mm (8- by 32-in.) test specimens. Stress-strain curves, cyclic behavior, and creep tests are reported and notable differences between different geotextiles are discussed. The test used was specifically developed to simulate fabric deformation under rutting conditions that occur in unpaved roads, but the test results are also relevant to many other field applications where the behavior involved is predominately tensile.